Mikhail Youzhny: I just want to keep playing and enjoying tennis

CHENNAI, December 23, 2013: World No.15 Mikhail Youzhny of Russia is among the top ranked players to be participating in Aircel Chennai Open 2014 that boasts of top names such as World No.8 Stanislas Wawrinka, World No. 16 Fabio Fognini, and World No. 26 Benoit Paire among others. On his second visit to play in Chennai, Youzhny will be back for another shot at a title he won when he routed Spain’s Rafael Nadal 6-0, 6-1 in the 2008 final.

He has had a very impressive year that started on an incredibly positive note as he recorded his 400th career ATP World Tour-level singles win over Benjamin Becker in Doha. He finished runner-up in Halle final losing to Roger Federer and after that became the first Russian champion in 18 years at Gstaad, defeating Robin Haase. “I think I put up a good fight right through. I played consistently during all three sets. We both played good tennis but Roger played little better!” said the 31-year-old describing his match with the World No.6 in Halle.

Reaching the US Open quarterfinals for the third time, beating Haas in round three and Hewitt in round four boosted Youzhny’s confidence. “While I feel that I did not do bad job, I do not have the euphoria of success because I always want to do better. As far as I know, there are only two players in the ATP Tour, who have finished all years since 2002 in the top 50. I am fortunate to share that honour with Federer! I think it is not that bad,” he said talking about the year that has gone by. He is positive about 2014 and plans to make no changes to his training schedule.

This year, Youzhny also went on to win his second ATP World Tour crown of the season and lifted the 10th trophy of career with victory over 31-year-old David Ferrer at the Valencia Open 500. It was Youzhny’s 10th career title and first victory over a Top 5 opponent since 2010, when he upset Novak Djokovic in the Rotterdam semi-finals. Speaking about the experience, he said, “I just went to play my best and did not think about the result.”

The Russian is someone who really wants to keep playing good tennis wherever he goes. While he was disappointed that he lost to Djokovic twice, he feels he did not take advantage of the chances he got. “Both were two very different matches. At the Monte Carlo Masters, it was the first clay court tournament for both of us and we both were not in best shape. I think I had some chances to win, but did not convert. In New York, we both were in good shape, but Novak was fresh. He was more consistent. I was just out of a tough five set match against Hewitt in the fourth round,” he said expressing his views.

As a passionate Russian eager to learn, Youzhny has been coached by Boris Sobkin since he was a 10-year-old and the two continue to share a close working relationship. He was proud to be part of the country’s Davis Cup winning teams in 2002, 2006 and believes the future of tennis is bright thanks to an abundance of promising young talent such as Evgeny Donskoy, Andrey Kuznetsov and Karen Khachanov. He is known for his signature military style salute, which he uses to thank spectators for watching the match.

Youzhny is one among a number of top players who are drawn to Chennai because they like the tournament, the crowds and excitement, and the city. Since he practices in Thailand in December, he is not far away and is well prepared to face the weather.

When he gets some time to unwind, he likes to spend time holidaying in Dubai and with the family. Reading Russian Classic literature, catching a game of football, enjoying music such as Russian Chanson or his favourite group Lesopoval rejuvenates him. He also likes Russian humour and wouldn’t mind taking part in comedy if an opportunity comes his way. He says he has many funny tennis stories to entertain people.

When he comes to India, Youzhny loves to indulge in chicken curry and would like to tour the country if he has some time. For now, all eyes are on him as he begins his new season at the USD $450,000 tournament. Will he repeat his 2008 performance in Chennai?